Life And Times
by TinkerTailorSoldierSailor
Summary: a series of one-shots with charecters from Bleach, as well as Bleach OC's. The rating depends on the chapter. Will rate it T to be safe.
1. Gone

**Title: Gone**

**Chap. Rating: K**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. Saya and Chochiko belongs to Crimsonbloodgoddess. Cherry-chan belongs to thedrunkenwerewolf.**

When Gin, Rayne, and Rangiku woke that morning, they knew something was out of place in their home. The air seemed heavy and sad, like a raincloud had permanently settled over them. After dressing quickly, the three walked slowly and silently down the hall. The entire house was dark, and the only sound was the wind blowing through the trees outside. Even Cherry-chan and Chochiko dared not to make a sound. They made their way to the kitchen area and saw that it was empty. The door was open, as if someone had forgotten to close it. Cold, early morning wind blew in, ruffling their hair and causing them to shiver. It reminded them that the weather was beginning to cool and soon fall would come. Gin quickly shut the door and returned to the girls. All three had knots in their stomach and felt an odd sense of fear. Both girls held one of Gins hands and the animals clung to the children. They silently made their way to where Aizen-sama and Saya-chan's bedroom was and slowly opened the door. Aizen-sama was lying on his side with his back to them, still wearing his clothes from the previous night. His glasses were on the bedside table and his chocolate brown hair was mussed and sticking up all over the place. It seemed that nothing but pure sadness and loss was radiating from that room. The children stood there silently for what seemed like an eternity. Gin spoke up first. "Aizen-sama…" he said, barely above a whisper. The man heaved a heavy sigh, sat up, and turned to the children. Once they got a look at his face, they were struck speechless. He looked pale, almost sickly. His soft brown eyes were glazed, and the rims were red and swollen, like he had been crying. But, this was Aizen-sama. Aizen-sama _never_ cried, ever. Something was definitely wrong. Had a friend of his died?

Quiet, soft hearted Rayne let go of Gin's hand and walked over to the bed. Climbing up, she sat in his lap and hugged his middle."It'll be okay, Aizen-sama…" she whispered, trying to comfort him. The man sighed again and softly patted her dark head. Gin and Rangiku, along with Cherry-chan and Chochiko followed suit. "What's wrong?" Rangiku asked. Aizen-sama didn't speak. It was then that the children noticed the absence of a certain someone. "Aizen-sama," Gin asked cautiously, afraid of the answer. "W-Where's Saya-chan?"

"She's…gone."

"G-Gone?" Rangiku asked. "Where'd she go? Is she gonna be back soon?"

Aizen-sama just shook his head. "She was taken from us."

The small family, now down one member, spent the rest of the day on the bed, the children crying softly and the animals whining occasionally.

Their Saya-chan had been taken from them.


	2. When We Were Young

**I DO NOT OWN BLEACH OR ANY OF IT'S CHARECTERS. SAYA AND CHOCHIKO BELONG TO CRIMSONBLOODGODDESS. CHERRY-CHAN BELONGS TO THEDRUNKENWEREWOLF. I DO OWN RAYNE, THOUGH.**

**TITLE: WHEN WE WERE YOUNG**

**INSPIRATION: IVY'S SONG, WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY RANDOMSCRAPSOFPAPER OF YOUTUBE(IF YOU WANT A LINK TO THE SONG ASK, OR LOOK IT UP ON YOUTUBE)**

**RATING: K+**

**SUMMARY: GIN REFLECTING ON THE FIRST TIME HE MET RAYNE AND THEIR CHILDHOOD TOGETHER. **

**WARNING: MUCH ANGSTING AHEAD.**

Gin could remember the day he met her like it was yesterday.

It was a warm, sunny day in early spring and a cool breeze gently blew through the trees. Gin was still a child then, playing in the woods with Cherry-chan and Chochiko. A bag of dried persimmons was tied to his narrow waist, bouncing against his hip as he ran. Giggling, he was chased into a large clearing surrounded by Sakura trees. Multi-colored wildflowers bloomed everywhere and Cherry-chan began chasing the butterflies flitting around. Gin and Chochiko soon joined her.

Several minutes later, Cherry-chan suddenly stopped. The small white fox was staring at a plum tree at the edge of the field, her nose twitching. "What is it, Cherry-chan?" Gin asked. Looking up, he could see something small standing in the shadow of the tree. Whatever it was must have seen them staring at it, because it darted behind the tree. Cherry-chan trotted towards the tree, Gin close behind her. He stopped when Cherry-chan stopped to stare at whatever was behind the tree. She stood there, tail moving back and forth and nose stretched forward. The little fox turned to look at Gin, and then disappeared behind the plum tree. Gin ran towards the tree, wondering what Cherry-chan found so fascinating. Peering around the trunk, he saw Cherry sitting in front of what turned out to be a little girl around Gin's age, maybe a bit younger. Her tiny hand was stroking Cherry-chan's head, and the little white fox seemed to be enjoying it. But Cherry-chan always enjoyed attention. The girl in front of them wore a faded grey kimono that was tattered and threadbare, but clean. Her jet black hair was pulled into a messy braid and bangs covered her eyes. "She seems ta like ya." Gin said to the little girl. Her head snapped up, and two large lavender eyes emerged from the curtain of her bangs. The girl quickly began to shrink away. "S'okay." Gin told her. "Ya don't need ta be afraid. I'm not gonna bite cha." The girl stopped. Chochiko walked forward and nudged the girls leg with her cold nose, wanting attention as well. The girl smile down at the animal, which looked like a cross between a fox and a cat. "That's Chochiko." Gin said. "And the white one is Cherry-chan. " The dark haired girl squeaked in surprise as they both jumped into her lap, then giggled in delight at being besieged by the tiny army of fluff. "My name's Gin, by tha way. What's yours?"

"Rayne." The girl said shyly.

"Well Rayne-chan," Gin said, a grin spreading across his thin face. "ya wanna play wit' us?"

"I-I can't." She said, bangs covering her eyes.

"Why not?" Gin was slightly disappointed.

"W-Well, my Mamma is very sick, and I just came here to get those plums because they're her favorite." She said, pointing to a basket that contained the dark purple fruit. Gin understood. But for some strange reason, something inside him told him to stay with this girl. "If ya want, I could walk ya home."

"No, I don't want to be a bother-"

"S'no bother, Rayne-chan. Really."

Rayne smiled shyly. "O-okay , then." Rayne picked up the basket of plums and the two children, followed by Cherry-chan and Chochiko, made their way through the woods. Gin reached into the bag at his hip and handed her what looked like some kind of shriveled fruit. "What is it?" she asked, turning it over in her hand. "It's dried persimmon." Gin told her, taking out another and putting it in his mouth. "They're good." Rayne took a small bite, then smiled and took a larger bite. "Told ya."

They continued onward for several minutes, until they broke through the trees and came to the edge of a lake. Turning, Rayne continued towards a small wooden structure that he guessed was her home. A straw curtain served as a door and a stone pathway led right down to the lake. "Mama, I'm home!" Rayne called from the pathway as she approached the house. Gin, Cherry-chan and Chochiko made it to the middle of the pathway and stopped short. A terrible smell was coming from inside, causing the animals fur to bristle. Rayne turned around to see Gin's hand over his nose. "Sorry about the smell." She said, blushing in embarrassment. "Mama has been sick for a long time, and I've been so busy taking care of her that I haven't been able to clean anything. Come on in. I want you to meet her."

Gin felt a knot in his stomach. Something wasn't right. But he didn't want to be rude, so he followed her inside. Chochiko and Cherry-chan stayed outside.

The inside of the house was dim, the only light coming from a small window next to the door and one in the back. There was a cooking pit in the middle with an iron pot. In the far back of the house was a thin futon which Rayne was kneeling by. Lying on the futon was what Gin suspected to be Rayne's mother. He couldn't see much from where he was, just a figure with long black hair spread out around her. A fly or two buzzed lazily in the air. "She must still be asleep." Rayne said as Gin walked closer. "She sleeps a lot these days. " Once Gin was standing next to the bed, his eyes widened in shock. The woman lying there was extremely pale, almost gray-ish. Her face was gaunt and her closed eyes were sunken. Her mouth was open slightly, but she wasn't breathing.

This woman was dead.

Suddenly, Gin felt an enormous amount of pity for this girl. Her mother was probably all she had, and when she died, Rayne-chan couldn't accept it. He had to find a way to help her. But how? Then, it came to him. Maybe Saya-chan and Aizen-sama could help.

"Hey, Rayne-chan, I think I know someone who could help your Mama."

Rayne's face brightened. "Really?"

"Yeah." He said. "Stay here and I'll be right back."

Gin turned to go, and as he reached the door, she spoke up. "Gin?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for your help. It really means a lot to me."

Gin smiled sadly. "No problem, Rayne-chan. I'll be back soon."

Gin raced back through the woods, closely followed by Cherry-chan and Chochiko. He had to get to Saya-chan and Aizen-sama. They would know what to do. Gin ran for several minutes until he finally reached the edge of the garden. He flung the gate open and ran towards the back porch, where he saw the two adults sitting together. Rangiku was also on the porch, reading a book. They all looked up when they saw Gin and the two animals rushing towards them.

"Woah, Gin!" Saya said with a laugh. "Where's the fire?"

Gin stopped, bent over with his hands on his knees. He was panting heavily, his lungs and legs burning. Cherry and Chochiko were lying flat on the ground, also panting heavily. Rangiku Gathered the two little animals in her arms. "What on earth is going on?" she asked. "Why are you guys so out of breath?"

Gin continued to breath heavily. "Saya-chan…Aizen-sama…help…please…"

"What's wrong, Gin?" Aizen-sama asked, he and Saya genuinely worried. "Is someone hurt?"

"I can't…explain." Gin finally caught his breath. "Please just come. I don't know what else to do."

"Alright, alright." Saya-chan said, putting her arm around him. "Ran-chan," she said. "Take Cherry and Chochiko inside and get them some water."

"Okay!" the strawberry-blonde said and ran inside with the two animals in her arms.

"Sousuke, lets go."

The two adults followed Gin through the forest, jogging to keep up with him. He stopped when they broke through the trees and looked at the adults. "Gin," Aizen-sama asked. "What's going on?" Gin looked at him sadly. The wind blew towards them and Saya's face crinkled. "Ugh. What smells?"

"It-It's kinda hard ta explain. But it's inside the house."

The two adults looked at each other, then followed him inside the dimly lit structure.

"Rayne-chan?" Gin asked. "I'm back."

The dark haired little girl looked up from the plum she was eating and smiled. Getting up, she set the plum down and walked over. "Rayne-chan, this is Saya-chan and Aizen-sama."

"Nice to meet you." She said with a bow. "Gin says you can help Mama."

The two adults walked over to the woman lying on the futon. Gin saw Saya's hand rush to her mouth. Clearing his throat, Aizen turned to the children. "Why don't you two go outside? We should only be a few minutes."

Gin followed Rayne outside to the edge of the lake, where they tried to skip rock. Neither of them were very good at it. "I hope Mama's going to be okay." Rayne said. Gin remained silent. Rayne tossed another rock. "I don't know what I would do without her…"

"Ya could come and stay wit' us if ya want, Rayne-chan."

Rayne looked at him. "What do you mean? You barely know me."

"S'okay. I like ya." This made Rayne blush a little. "And Cherry-chan and Chochiko do to. Besides, Saya-chan an' Aizen-sama are real nice. Saya-chan took in me and Ran-chan when we had nowhere to go."

"Who's Ran-chan?" Rayne asked, giving up trying to skip stones.

"She's a friend of mine." Gin said. "She's about our age. The two of us were fendin' for ourselves before Saya-chan came along."

"She sounds nice."

"She's great. When she's angry she can get real scary, but most of the time she's really nice and she cares a lot about us. Me and Ran-chan would still be livin' on the streets If it wasn't for her an' Aizen-sama."

The two children heard footsteps and turned to see the two adults coming towards them. Gin frowned, knowing what was coming. "Is Mama gpnna be alright?" Rayne asked. Saya-chan sighed and kneeled down to look the girl in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Rayne-chan." She said sadly. "There's nothing that can be done. Your mother is dead…she has been for some time now."

Rayne was silent for several moments, then spoke. "W-What? No. No!" She tried to run towards the house, but Saya-chan stopped her. "MAMA! MAMA!" The girl screamed, tears running down her face as she fought the grip of the older woman. "Let me go! Mama! MAMA!" Rayne collapsed, sobbing into Saya's chest as the woman held her, occasionally crying out for her mother. The little girl cried and cried, until her body went limp. "Whats happened?" Gin asked, worried.

"She's fainted. I guess it was all too much for her."

"Will she be okay?" Gin asked.

"She'll probably wake up in a few hours at the most." Saya gathered the child in her arms and stood.

"We should bury the body." Aizen-sama told them quietly.

"We will later." Saya-chan told him. "Right now this little one needs to lay down."

The group made their way back to the house, Gin walking close by Saya, hardly taking his eyes of the small girl in her arms. It was mid afternoon by the time the returned home. Rangiku was sitting on the porch with Cherry and Chochiko, munching on onigiri and waiting for them to return. "Your back!" she said excitedly when they came into view. Cherry jumped onto Gin's shoulders and Chochiko begged for attention. Rangiku saw the child in Saya's arms. "Who's that?" she asked, curious. Aizen sama sat down with her on the porch and explained the situation, while Gin followed Saya back to the bedroom he and Rangiku shared. Saya gently laid the child on the soft futon. "You must be hungry, Gin." Saya said. "Why don't you come get some lunch?"

"I-I'm not hungry." The boy said. "I'll just stay here wit' Rayne-chan. I don't think she should wake up alone."

Saya smiled at how protective Gin was being. "Okay." She said quietly. Saya stood and walked towards the door. "I'll come in later to check on you two." And with that she left the room.

Cherry-chan curled up in Gin's lap and he stroked her fur absent-mindedly, watching the sleeping girl.

~XXXXX~

It was early evening when Rayne finally woke up. Gin could smell dinner being made, and his stomach began to grumble. He hadn't eaten since that morning, and was very hungry. He had already eaten the persimmons in his bag. When Rayne awoke, she slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes, then looked around. "Gin?" she asked. "Where am I?"

"Saya-chan and Aizen-sama's house."

"So, what happened today…wasn't a dream?" she asked him, already knowing the answer.

"'Fraid not, Rayne-chan." The girl nodded, tears running down her cheeks. Cherry-chan crawled into her arms, trying to comfort the crying child. She hugged the little fox, burying her face in the soft white fur as sobs shook her body. Gin gently wrapped his arms around her until she stopped.

Rubbing her eyes when she was finished, Rayne thanked him. "Aizen-sama and Saya-chan buried her earlier." Gin told her. "They said ya can go visit 'er tomorrow, if ya want."

"Maybe…" Rayne said. The silence was then broken by Rayne's stomach growling loudly. Gin laughed. "I'm hungry too. Smells like they're makin' dinner. Ya wanna go eat?"

Rayne just nodded. Gin stood up and offered her his hand. She took it, and held onto it as they left the room, Cherry-chan behind them. They were met in the hall by Saya-chan. "I was just about to come and check on you two." She turned her attention to Rayne. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Hungry." The little girl answered. Saya chuckled. "I figured you would be. Well, dinner is ready."

The children followed Saya into the kitchen, where Aizen-sama and Rangiku were already at the table. It was a simple dinner of fish, rice and cooked vegetables. But it all smelled good and the children's mouths began to water. Rayne sat down between Gin and Rangiku, who quickly introduced herself. The food was good, the atmosphere happy, and everyone went to bed with full stomach's and smiled on their faces. Even Rayne couldn't help but smile.

~XXXXX~

It didn't take long for quiet, shy little Rayne-chan to become part of their little motley crew of a family. As time went on she smiled more and more. But she was still extremely shy and by some act of fate Gin became the young girl's protector. Whenever they went out she would always hold onto his hand or his arm, hiding her face behind her bangs. Gin didn't mind it one bit. Ever since the day they met, Gin felt this strange urge to protect and look after her. He could never explain why, that's just how it was. And he was happy with it. Rangiku would make half-hearted jokes and tease them, but it was all in good nature. Eventually, they grew older and she didn't need to hold his hand wherever they went. But they were always together. It was like there was an invisible chain linking the two. They were each other's "other half." That's just how it was. And neither of them would have it any other way.

_Holy shit that was a long one! This evolved from an old story I posted on deviantart called Plums, Persimmons, and Sakura Trees. The original I felt was to short and to rushed, so I re-wrote it and made it six pages long!_

_Lol I did not mean to make it that long, it just kind of happened that way. No idea whatthe next drabble will be about. These are not in any chronological order. They're just random. NOTE: not all of these will center around OC'S. just most of them. Lol. _

_Until next time!_


End file.
